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Ski Quebec on a Budget

If you’re looking for a Northeastern ski area with a dose of affordable French flavor, then a visit to Quebec’s Eastern Townships is in order. With a lift ticket at Stowe reaching $99 this winter, you can head another hour north and be skiing at half the price. This is especially true with the current rate of exchange at US$1 to CAN$1.27. On the shores of Lake Memphremagog, Owl’s Head offers the best of Vermont skiing, but at Quebec’s prices. For a measly US$78, you get one night lodging, supper, breakfast, and a lift ticket! And this being Quebec, that breakfast will include freshly baked croissants, patisserie, and café au lait. 

 

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Washington DC for Families, Now an iPhone App

More and more of my travel writing buddies are entering into the world of iPhone apps, simply utilizing their expertise in another medium. Take my friend, Alistair Wearmouth, a writer and editor at Away.com who happens to be a parent living in the Washington, DC area. Few know the region better than him, so it makes perfect sense that he’s just come out with an app on the DC area for families. It includes more than 125 listings for the best places to sleep, eat, play, and visit, slideshows of over 1,000 photographs, and recommendations relative to your current GPS locale. Since Alistair has a love of the outdoors, many of the sites have an active component, like places to bring the kids to bike, paddle, and stroll in parks. Cost is a measly $1.99.
 

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The Trustees Turns 125

In 1891, Boston landscape architect Charles Eliot received the go-ahead from the Legislature to establish The Trustees of Reservations “for the purposes of acquiring, holding, maintaining and opening to the public . . . beautiful and historic places . . . within the Commonwealth.” Today, the nonprofit conservation organization maintains over 100 sites in Massachusetts and has a yearly membership of more than 125,000 people. Crane Beach and Naumkeag, the recently renovated Stockbridge estate, are two of the crown jewels in the Trustees’ collection. But there are many more unheralded gems. The week of May 16th I’m going to divulge my 5 favorite Trustees sites not to be missed. This will lead up to the statewide anniversary launch on May 21st and “Home Sweet Home” Historic Open House Day. The Great House on the Crane Estate in Ipswich, the Old Manse in Concord, and seven other historic homes will be open to the public for free. An exhibition, From the Sea to the Mountains: The Trustees 125th Anniversary, recently reviewed in The Boston Globe, will be at the Norman B. Leventhal Map Center (NBLMC) at the Boston Public Library through August 28, 2016. Naumkeag will host a garden party on Saturday, July 23rd. And you’ll catch us at the Crane Estate on August 6th to catch Megan Hilty and the Boston Pops Orchestra perform at one of the most majestic spots in the state, the Grand Allée, overlooking the Atlantic. Do yourself a favor and check out at least one new Trustees site this summer. You’ll thank me! 
 
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Boston to Launch Bike-Share Program

Good news out of Boston last week when Mayor Menino announced that the city will follow in the footsteps of Montreal and Denver and initiate a bike-sharing program this summer. Set to open in July, the Hubway will feature 600 bikes in 61 stations throughout the city. Pay a yearly or daily membership fee and the cost of rental for the ride (trips shorter than 30 minutes will be free) and off you go. Alta Bicycle Share, the company that designed the bike-sharing program in Washington, DC, and Melbourne, Australia, has been hired to oversee the Boston network. There are already plans to expand to neighboring Cambridge, Brookline, and Somerville in 2012.
 

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Bike the Kingdom Trails and Stay at the Burke Bike Barn

Now that Columbus Day has come and gone, along with much of the fall foliage traffic in Vermont, it’s time to hit my favorite mountain bike trails in New England. Uou know how much I cherish the Kingdom Trails. They’re even sweeter when the last maple leaves are clinging to the trees before the first snowfall. That would be right now! Spend the night at Burke Bike Barn. Located on the White School Trail, just outside the village of East Burke, this timber frame barn first went up in the 1840s. Recently renovated, it now features two units, each with full kitchen. The larger unit has three bedrooms and sleeps 6 (starts at $150 a night), while the smaller unit has 2 bedrooms and sleeps 4 (starts at $120 a night).

 
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Expert Led Tours to Vietnam with Trails of Indochina

If you’re headed to Thailand, Bali, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, or Myanmar with ActiveTravels, chances are you’ll be traveling with Trails of Indochina, our preferred supplier in Southeast Asia. Depending on your interests, be it adventure, culture, history, or food, they always seem to design an authentic itinerary with passionate guides. In 2018, they’re introducing Expert Led Tours to Vietnam with either a renowned artist, photographer, or Vietnam Vet. These are group tours around the country scheduled to depart on specific dates. Exploring Vietnam’s Arts and Handicrafts will be led by artist Sandrine Llouquet from October 15-22. Highlights include lacquer painting demonstration at Hanoi Fine Art University, a Feng Shui lesson at the Temple of Princess An Thuong, and a private Vietnamese art history lecture at Salon Saigon. Insight to a Veteran’s Vietnam Experience will take place September 24 to October 5, led by Chuck Searcy, a US Army veteran and current International Advisor to Project RENEW. You’ll explore the sites of the 1968 Tet Offensive throughout Hue and visit the site of the former Demilitarized Zone that separated the north and south. Discovering Vietnam Through the Lens will be held September 3-13 under the helm of photographer Etienne Bossot. You’ll participate in workshops at each destination while capturing the bustle of Bac Ha market in Sapa and the exquisite natural beauty of Vietnam. If interested in any of these trips, please let ActiveTravels know. 

 
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Viva Italia!

Maybe it’s the lure of Italian cooking, the chance to finally see the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican in Rome, biking through the countryside of Tuscany, or driving along the spectacular Amalfi coastline, that has made Italy such a hot destination in 2010. I just received a call from Go Ahead Tours in Cambridge, Massachusetts, who noted that bookings are up a remarkable 55% on trips to Italy compared to last year.  So much, in fact, that they decided to host an event on April 10th called “A Taste of Tuscany in Boston.” On hand will be best-selling author Frances Mayes, who’s releasing her new book, “Every Day in Tuscany.” Italian food and wine will also be presented. Join in the festivities at the EF Center on 1 Education Street in Cambridge from 2-5 pm. Save a spot by remembering to RSVP.
 

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